Socks--Thank Me Later

Nina E. Olson, head of the National Tax Payer Advocate, an independent arm of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for the U.S. said something about knitting today. The Annual Report about the IRS came out today and it was not all that good. (What a surprise!)

I have written a few times about odd combinations involving knitting in the past, including how knitting helped to topple a Prime Minister as well as knitting a scarf and the most recent Winter Olympics. So this is my next adventure, the IRS and knitting.

She looks as if she might knit socks, don't you think?

Back to Ms. Olson's comments, she was talking about how U.S. taxpayers who call in to talk to someone for help with their 2014 returns will be put in a long queue (if they are lucky enough to get through at all) because of the cuts in the IRS budget going back five years. She suggested it would be appropriate for the caller to have some knitting available because that queue would be very long. In a CBS interview she stated:

"As I say to people, they should bring their knitting when they call the IRS. They can do something on the phone while they're waiting. You'll probably knit a sock."

Don't call us.

I have knit a sock or two in my time and it can take several hours to complete one (I am not the fastest knitter in the world), but thinking of having to stay that long on a line is saddening, if not totally ridiculous. The saying goes forewarned is forearmed. You have been warned.

On to another topic, if you hand knit socks you know it is not unusual for them to need darning from time to time. Webs, a well known seller of yarn products, posted today on their Facebook page a link written by Jackie E-S. This post gives wonderfully photographed step-by-step directions on how to go about repairing/darning socks without having to tear out any of the existing sock. And best of all it suggests using a darning egg. How many under 40 year olds know what that is? In my family if socks were worn through, the pair were tossed rather than darned. So I am confident my sons know nothing about a darning egg. In fact I don't own one.

See the darning egg above?

Oh, here's the link to the tutorial.

So today I could actually have performed a service to my readers. First, expect l--o--n--g waits if you call the IRS for help this year, so bring your knitting to the phone. Second, you now have a link to find out how to darn that hand made sock you've worn out in the heel or toe.

And yes, you are welcome.

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